Roasted Pork Loin with Cider and Chunky Applesauce

By AzWench

Ingredients

• Chunky Applesauce:
• 2 sprigs fresh rosemary, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 sprigs fresh sage, leaves roughly chopped
• 2 cloves garlic, smashed
• Pinch crushed red pepper
• Kosher salt
• Extra-virgin olive oil
• 1 (6-chop) pork rib roast
• 2 large onions, sliced
• 1 bundle fresh thyme, tied with string
• 3 bay leaves
• 2 quarts apple cider, divided
• Chunky Applesauce, recipe follows
• 3 tablespoons butter
• 4 Granny Smith apples, peeled, cored, and cut into 1/2-inch chunks (toss the apples in lemon juice if not using right away)
• 1 1/2 cups reserved cider from Roasted Pork Loin with Cider
• 1/4 cup apple cider
• 1 pinch ground cinnamon
• 1/4 cup heavy cream
• 1/2 cup walnuts, toasted and coarsely chopped

Details

Servings 6

Preparation

Step 1

Preheat the oven to 425 degrees F.

In a food processor, combine the chopped herbs with the garlic, crushed red pepper, a generous pinch of salt, and enough olive oil to make a paste. Brush the paste on the outside of the pork rib roast.

Toss the onions with olive oil and salt and place in the bottom of a roasting pan. Add the thyme, bay leaves, and two-thirds of the cider. Place the pork on top of the onions and place in the oven. Roast the pork until it has developed a lovely brown crust, 20 to 25 minutes. Check on the pork and stir the onions and cider if they are starting to burn. Add more cider when the level starts to go down.

Lower the oven to 375 degrees F and roast until an instant-read thermometer reads 150 degrees F, 30 to 35 minutes. If the crust on the pork starts to get too dark, cover it with foil. Remove 1 1/2 cups of the cider from the bottom of the roasting pan and reserve for the applesauce.

Let the pork rest for at least 15 minutes before carving. When ready to carve, remove the pork from the bone and cut the loin into thin slices. Serve with the onions braised in cider and Chunky Applesauce.

Chunky Applesauce:
Melt the butter in a saucepan large enough to accommodate the apples. Add the apples and saute over medium-low heat until the apples start to soften. Add the reserved cider, apple cider, and cinnamon and cook over medium-low heat until most of the cider has evaporated and the apples are cooked and very soft.

Add the heavy cream and walnuts and cook until the cream has reduced by half. The end result should be a very chunky, sweet/savory applesauce.